Ivy Networks

Throughout New England's college towns last week, a live-wire topic was Brown University's proposal for an intercollegiate radio network. For the last three years Brown has had a wire hookup of receivers in the rooms of 1,600 students, thinks that an ivy network could pay its way with radio ads, would provide a novel medium for exchange of undergraduate thought and enterprise.

Not nearly so ambitious as the Brown plan, but a money-making radio venture nevertheless, was one uncovered last week at Dartmouth College by the show-business weekly, Billboard. The Dartmouth station, unofficially called WHD, is run by Senior Hugh Dryfoos of Manhattan in his room in Russell Sage Dormitory. Its audience: 40 other students in Russell Sage whose rooms are within WHD's broadcasting range--50 to 75 feet. WHD's transmitter: a one-tube gadget like those used in remote-control record players (and permitted license-free by FCC).

Broadcaster Dryfoos operates on regular schedule, blows a police whistle to remind his audience of starting time. Over the dormitory air he conducts morning and evening news programs (H. Dryfoos, commentator), a local Pot o' Gold program (prize: 50-c-), sometimes polls his audience with: "the first six guys in my room get free chocolate malteds." He also invites faculty guest speakers, fills in with programs of popular records. Under the magisterial eye of Dartmouth President Ernest H. Hopkins, Broadcaster Dryfoos has to avoid records like Bruz Fletcher's Nympho-Dipso-Ego-Maniac, or She Had to Go and Lose It at the Astor. Keep it clean, the administration warns him.

Dryfoos started broadcasting three months ago, soon had two Hanover, N. H. restaurants for sponsors. Last week Broadcaster Dryfoos got another sponsor, a stationer. From all three he now nets a cool $5 a week. Right now Hugh Dryfoos' WHD has no competition, but early in its career other students started up a two-tube rival enterprise which they called the Illegal Broadcasting System. One night FCC listened in, found IBS illegal indeed, since its unlicensed broadcasts could be heard beyond the dormitory walls, way over in Vermont.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.